The present disclosure relates in general to configuring a computing system and, more particularly, to a method and system for migrating configuration settings into a computing system.
The computer industry continues to provide the computing public with new and more powerful machines. Many of these new machines seem to be easier to use than earlier machines. Combining more processing power with simplified operation has allowed computers and, specifically, personal computers to gain widespread usage across many segments of society. This usage has exploded in recent years as users have begun to acquaint themselves with the power of networking and the wealth of information available in places like the Internet.
While many computer users require their machines to be simple to operate, the simplicity that these users accept is often better described as perceived simplicity, a simplicity provided by very complex software operating xe2x80x9cbehind the scenexe2x80x9d. The perception of simplicity is maintained as long as the software runs glitch free and the user is not required to do much set up work. Many computer users prefer that their computers have xe2x80x9cplug and goxe2x80x9d capability (i.e., the user merely powers on the computer and begins using it without performing any set up work).
With this in mind, computer manufacturers and suppliers have begun to install software packages onto machines for their consumers. This helps reduce the amount of required set up work for the user. The supplier installed software, however, tends to be user neutral (i.e., it is not personalized for the intended user).
User neutral installation often fails to account for issues that arise during replacement of existing computing systems. Presumably, the user of an existing computing system would like to migrate as much information as possible from the existing computing system to the new computing system. The user has already set up the existing computing system. If this set up information is not migrated, much, if not all, of the, effort spent by the user setting up the existing computing system is lost. This is especially problematic when the set up includes establishing a relationship with an internet service provider (xe2x80x9cISPxe2x80x9d) and/or computer network.
Establishing an ISP relationship usually involves communicating with the ISP and configuring an existing computing system to operate with an ISP server.
Conventional techniques for minimizing a users set up work often fail to address the inconveniences encountered by a user that desires to upgrade a computing system yet maintain prior data and configuration settings.
Additionally, the conventional solutions do not typically account for third-party involvement and, as such, fail to eliminate the set up time associated with establishing an ISP or network relationship.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a method and system for migrating configuration settings into a computing system are disclosed that provide significant advantages over prior systems. The disclosed embodiments allow a user, who is acquiring a new computing system, to benefit from prior efforts expended setting up an existing computing system.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a user places an order with a computer supplier for a computing system. The computer supplier determines whether the user placing the order has an existing internet service provider (ISP) relationship. If the user does have an existing ISP relationship, the computer supplier contacts the ISP with which the user has a relationship and obtains configuration data associated with the existing ISP relationship. The configuration data may include, for example, the customer""s ISP settings (e.g., ISP local phone number, script file to run, and server assigned address). The computer supplier may then provide the user with a computing system that is operable to access this configuration data and use it to access the Internet via the user""s existing ISP relationship. As such, the user may be spared the hassle of establishing a new or additional ISP relationship for the supplied computing system.
In one embodiment, the configuration data may be stored in a memory, which is a part of the supplied computing system, before the user takes possession of the supplied computing system. In another embodiment, the configuration data may be stored remotely, and the supplied computing system may be programmed to access the configuration data before attempting to access the Internet via the customer""s existing ISP relationship.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer supplier may supply a user with a computing system. The supplied computing system may include, for example, an ISP connection program that accesses configuration data. The configuration data may be stored, for example, in a local memory or a remote memory. Preferably, the configuration data allows a user to use the computing system to access the Internet via an existing ISP relationship.
Recycling a portion of the set up time associated with establishing an ISP relationship (e.g., time spent contacting an ISP by phone and/or proceeding through a series of steps that define the way in which a user prefers to correspond with the Internet) is a technical advantage of the above-discussed embodiments.
Simplified Internet access with a supplied computing system is another technical advantage provided by embodiments of the present disclosure.
Other technical advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following specification, claims, and drawings.